> a) Name Kevin Whilden > b) Email address kwhilden_at_seanet.com (note: this is going to be my permanent address soon) > c) Kayaks owned or paddled (boat names also if you like) Pygmy Arctic Tern Pyranha Inazone 240 (ww playboat) Pyranha H2Zone (ww creekboat) Mega Jester Rio (surf kayak) New Wave Bigfoot (ww squirt boat) > d) Boat name and serial number if maritime radio operator > e) Special interests Paddling in storms and rough water. Searching out tide rips -- the bigger the better. Greenland paddle techniques. Surfing. And last but definitely not least, paddling whitewater rivers > f) Specialist knowledge I have become quite expert at teaching whitewater kayaking. I teach a class for George Gronseth's Kayak Academy (www.halcyon.com/kayak) that is designed for sea kayakers who want to increase their skills dramatically by spending time in the river environment. We use sit-on-top whitewater boats which increase safety and comfort, and some more advanced students use normal closed deck kayaks. > g) Strong opinions Ok, I've got a few of these... :) 1. The best kayakers are those who spend time on the river and the sea. 2. Greenland paddles are superior in every way to modern "white-man" paddles. 3. Rudders are only useful or necessary on boats with lousy hull designs. > h) Most interesting kayak trip Without a doubt, the best kayak trip ever involved surfing the standing wave at Skookumchuk (BC) in the evening as the sun was setting. The reflection on the glassy water was like surfing on a sea of fire. I've also been the sea kayak guide for a special trip in concert with the Fremont Drum School (http://www.congajoy.com) in Seattle. The "Sea Kayak and Drum Retreat" is an amazing combination of kayaking in the Gulf Islands and afro-cuban percussion drumming. It's a lot of fun. > i) Short Bio (personal description) > Been kayaking for eight years. Taught whitewater for the last four. I spend most of my time on the river, but I love the sea and like to get out frequently for multi-day trips in the summer. I think a lot about designing my own boats, and will hopefully make it a reality in the next couple of years. Currently I do kayak reviews for Sea Kayaker (initials KW, of course), and I had my first full-length article published in this months issue of Sea Kayaker. It's called "Overboard with electronics" and reviews chart plotting software as well as four GPS units. I just received my MS in Geology from the University of Washington, BS in Physics from UCSD. I am currently starting up a web based environmental news company. You can check out my website at http://www.yourplanetearth.com (note: this site will be live on or before November 10,1999) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Nov 02 1999 - 13:58:00 PST
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